Expectations – We hope teams apply their time and creativity to appreciating the implications of emerging technologies, in general, and identifying an interesting business opportunity, in particular. Since we want this exercise to be bounded in scope, we ask you to follow a simple and uniform presentation format and spend your time largely on the substantive content.

Business Brief Format – We would like every team to use the following slides in order and touch upon the following specific points in their Business Briefs:

(0) Title & Team Page – Catchy Name & Team Bios: Each participant student names, email, MIT affiliation, and one phrase of professional background. This is an important section to do well because it is one more mechanism by which you get to know your fellow TES classmates and they you.

(1) Business Concept – State the big picture of WHAT your business will do and WHY customers will want your solution. Start with a compelling company name and summary Elevator Speech, crystallizing your whole proposal in the first 30-60 seconds of your presentation, perhaps using a key graphic or illustration. Help your listener pigeonhole your proposal by choosing the general industry category best describing your company: e.g. Computer Hardware, PC Peripheral, Computing Services, Molecular Modeling, MEMS Components, NEMS Fabrication Equipment, or whatever.

(2) Technology Solution – What is the core enabling technology product or service do you offer? State HOW you propose to solve the problem customers face. Quantify performance benefits, current state of development, and work still to be done. Clarify intellectual property (IP) status, e.g. patents-pending, specific licensing status. Use your judgment to describe how things work at an appropriately high level of abstraction & detail. But -- and this is important -- we are expecting business ideas founded on technologies which are both (a) novel and (b) grounded in reality. To find such a combo, you may find you’ll need to review the technical literature, brainstorm with student technologists, seek out and talk to professors, and more.

(3) Value Chain Impact – What value chains will either be required, replaced, or otherwise transformed by the deployment of the technology-business? Where will the technology-business play on the value chain? What forces most affect your opportunity?

(4) IP & Assets Map – What IP Appropriability vs Complementary Assets will your organization, seeking to commercialize the emerging technology, need to bring to bear? What role will standards and network effect play?

(5) Business Trajectory – What do you envision as the technology-business trajectory over time. How do you roll out technology, what are your milestones, what's your product trajectory vs year. Why will you win over the long haul? Analyze market characteristics and diffusion patterns: who are lead users, is there a “chasm”, and so forth.

(6) Competitive Landscape – WHO ELSE are your competitors and why are you better? State risk factors, identify some direct and remote competitors, and spotlight particular things you have - or will build - to your advantage.

(7) Revolutionary Potential – -- How does what you're proposing have the potential to create a new industry? Are you a potential disruptor? Elaborate on the S-Curve of both the "old" technology and the new one (i.e. what are the dimensions of performance? what is the nature of the limits leading the S Curve to taper out? what other technologies or S curves are there?). Given all that you know, summarize your envisioned opportunity and core proposed strategy (or greatest concerns and unknowns) for the commercialization of the emerging technology.